Adapter or plug for incandescent-lamp circuits



(No Model.)

E. WESTON. V ADAPTER 0R PLUG FOR INGANDBSGBNT LAMP CIRCUITS.

No. 480,000. Patented Aug. 16, 1892.

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UNITED STATES.

EDWARD \VESTON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADAPTER OR PLUG FOR lNCANDESCENT-LAMP CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 480,900, dated August16, 1892.

Application filed March 21, 1892.

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, EDWARD WESTON, of Newark, Essex county, New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adapters and Plugs forIncandescent-Lamp Circuits, of which the followingis a specification. v

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and convenient meanswhereby the terminals of electrical measuring-instru ments may beconnected in an incandescent or glow lamp circuit at any lamp, so thatat any point on the circuit Where a lamp is situated currentmeasurements may be made. The great advantage of this plan is that italfords a simple and convenient way of inspecting the electricalcondition of acircuit without requiring any artificial interruption ofsaid circuit or. rendering it necessary for the inspector to go tospecial points to find terminals at which to connect his instrument.

The invention consists, first, in a device which I term an adapter, andwhich is so constructed that it may be applied to the fixed portion ofan incandescent-lamp socket, and hence may be substituted for the lampafter said lamp is removed. The adapter may vary in construction,according to the particular lamp-socket to which it is intended to beapplied. Thus, as will hereinafter be explained, I use one form ofadapter for a Thomson-Houston socket, another form for an Edison socket,and so on,the adapters differing among themselves in respect to theparticular construction which suits each one for a given socket in thesame way as the lamps themselves differ. Each adapter is provided withtwo circuit-conductors having their inner extremities disposed to makeelectrical connection with the circuitterminals in the stationary coilof the lamp.

The invention also consists in a plug or holding device which carriesthe circuit-terminals through which circuit is closed through ameasuring-instrument and which is so constructed as to engage with theadapter, so that the terminals in the plug shall make electrical contactwith the conductors 'in the adapter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. representsectional views of different forms of adapters belonging to differenttypes of lamps, as will be hereinafterexplained. Fig.

fierial No. 425,708. (No model.)

5 is an exterior View of an adapter with the movable plug in place. Fig.6 is a longitudinal section of the movable plug, showing the terminalsof wires from the measuring-instrument connected thereto. Fig. 7 is abottom view of the adapter shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is a sectionalview 011 the line 8 8 of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 shows the adapter and plug inplace in the fixed portion of the lamp-socket.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The form of adapter shown in Fig. 1 is suited to a lamp-socket of thelVeston type, that in Fig. 2 belongs toasocket of the Thomson-Houstontype, that in Fig. 3 belongs to a socket of the Westinghouse type, andthat in Fig. 4 belongs to a socket of the Edison type.

' It is well known that all ordinary incandescent-lamp sockets are madein two parts,

one part being permanently connected to the lamp and the other usuallyto the supportingfixture, and that when these two parts are put togethercircuit is closed through the lamp. It is to be understood that myadapter takes the place of that part of the socket which is ordinarilyattached to the lamp, so that it fits into the fixed or stationary partof the socket just as the lamp itself fits therein. All that isnecessary, therefore, is to remove the lamp and substitute the adapter.

The adapter preferably consists of a plug A of insulating material, suchas of hard rubber, having a central opening B, in which are fixed twocontact-springs C and D. These contact-springs are connected,respectively, to fixed contact-plates, which are disposed on theexterior of the adapter and so arranged as to make contact with otherplates arranged in the fixed socket to which the adapter may be suited.Thus in the adapter belonging to the Weston system, Fig. 1, thecontact-spring O connects by wire a to plate I), and contact spring Dconnects by a wire I) to the screwplug 0. The screw-plug c and the plateI) make contact with the circuit-terminals when the adapter is put inplace. In the Thomson- Houston form (shown in Fig. 2) the spring 0connects by wire at to a plate 6, and the contact-spring D connects bywire f to a threaded nut g. The other plate 6 and the nut 9 make contactwith the circuit-terminals when the ICO adapter is in place. In theWVestinghouse construction (shown in Fig. 3) the contact-spring Gconnects by wire (dotted lines) with the cylindrical plate h. The springD connects by wire 6 to the pin j. Here the plate 7t and the pin j meetthe circuit-terminals when the adapter is in place. In the Edisonconstruction (shown in Fig. 4.) the spring 0 connects by a wire (dottedlines) with the screw-threaded plate 70. The spring D connects by wire(dotted lines) with a pin Z. Here the plate and the pin l meet thecircuit-terminals when the adapter is in place. The plug shown in Fig. 6is made of insulating material and is formed with a body portion E and aknob or handle F. The body portion E is flattened on opposite sides andhas applied to said sides two contact-plates G and H. On opposite sidesof said body portion are indentations m 'n, and the plates G and H arecorrespondingly indented t0 fit therein.

In operation the body portionE of the plug is inserted into the openingD of the adapter, so that the plate G makes contact with the plate 0 andthe plate H makes contact with the plate D. A bent-out portion 0 of theplate 0 then enters the indentation m of the plate G, and a similarbent-out portion 10 of the plate D enters the indentation n of the plateH. In this way the plug is held in place after it is inserted. It willbe apparent, therefore, that when said plug is introduced into theadapter it closes circuit from one contact, as 1, Fig. 4, through thecontact-plate D to contact-plate H on the plug, and then to thecircuit-wire q, and so to the measuring-instrument, and then back bycircuit-wire a" to plate G, plate 0, and contact-plate 7c. The closingof the circuits in the other adapters will be easily traced withoutfurther description.

The way in which I propose to use this device in practice is as follows:The inspector will be provided with a suitable measuringinstrumenthaving connected to its terminals the plug shown in Fig. 6. He will alsohave with him as many diiferent kinds of adapters as there are difierentsorts of lamps in use on the circuits which he may be called upon toexamine. On reaching a given circuit he notes the kind of lamp in place,takes 0E one lamp wherever may be most convenient, and

in place of the lamp inserts the proper adapter. Thus if it is an Edisonlamp he will putin an adapter suited to the Edison form, such as isshown in Fig. 4. If it happens to be a Westinghouse lamp, he will put inan adapter suited to the Westinghouse form, as shown in Fig. 3, and soon. This is the work of a few seconds. He then inserts his plug, soestablishing circuit from the line through the instrument Q, Fig. 9, andmakes whatever measurement he desires. He then removes his plug andadapter and replaces the lamp.

It will be noted that by simply turning the adapter in its socket orplacing it therein so that the plate H comes in contact with the plate 0and the plate G with the plate D, I can reverse the poles, and thuschange the direction of the current through the instrument, as may bedesired.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precisearrangement of contactsprings G D as shown in the several forms ofadapters here illustrated; nor, in fact, to any particular arrangementof contacts between the plug and the adapter. Obviously these may bevaried in a great many ways. Thus I may use springs in the adapter andfixed plates on the plug, or fixed plates in the adapter and springs onthe plug, or fixed plates on the adapter and one spring and one fixedplate on the plug, and so on through a variety of possible arrangements,which will readily suggest themselves to any electrical workman. It isalso, of course, to be understood that I do not limit myself to the fourforms of adapters here introduced simply for purposes of illustration,because my invention is of course applicable to any form ofincandescent-lamp socket, the circuit connections in the adapter beingmodified to the same extent as the circuit connections in the lamp.

By the term adapter as herein used I mean a device in the form of ablock or plug, preferably made of insulating material and carrying twocircuit-conductors, and also so constructed as to be applied to thestationary portion of an incandescent-lamp socket.

By the term plug or holding device as hereinafter used I mean a body,preferably of insulating material, carrying circuitterminalscommunicating with a measuringinstrument and constructed to engage withan adapter.

By the term incandescent lamp I mean any form of electric lamp in whichthe light is produced by the incandescence of a conducting-body, and bythe term incandescent-lamp circuit I mean a circuit including suchlamps.

I claim- 1. An adapter constructed detach ably to engage with the fixedor stationary portion of an electric-lamp socket and provided with twocircuit-conductors havingtheirinner extremities disposed to makeelectrical connection with the circuit-terminals in said stationarysocket, in combination with a plug or holding device also provided withcircuit-terminals and constructed to engage detachably with saidadapter, so that the terminals in said holding device shall makeelectrical contact with the conductors in said adapter.

2. An adapter constructed detachably to engage the stationary or fixedportion of an electric-lamp socket and provided with twocircuit-conductors having their inner extremities disposed to makeelectrical connection with circuit terminals in said stationary socketand their outer extremities arranged in an opening or recess, incombination with a plug or holding device provided withcircuit-terminals and adapted to enter said recess, thecircuit-terminals on said plug then making electric contact with thecircuit-terminals in said recess.

3. An adapter constructed detachably to engage the stationary or fixedportion of an electrio-lamp socket and provided with twocircuit-conductors having their inner extremities disposed to makeelectrical connection with the circuit-terminals in said socket andtheir outer extremities in the form of springs placed in proximity oneto the other, in combination with a plug or holding device provided withcircuit-terminals and adapted to enter between said springs, thecircuit-terminals on said plug then making electrical contact with saidsprings.

4;. An adapter constructed detachably to engage the stationary or fixedportion of an electric-lamp socket and provided with twocircuit-conductors having their inner extremities disposed to makeelectrical connection with the circuit-terminals in said stationarysocket and their outer extremities, in the form of leaf-sprin gs, placedin proximity one to the other, in combination with a plug or holdingdevice provided with circuit-terminals and adapted to enter between saidsprings, the circuit-terminals on said plug then making electricalcontact with said springs, in combination with a means of detachablyconnecting said plug and said springs.

5. As a new article of manufacture, an adapter of insulating materialcontaining two circuit-conductors with exposed terminals, one pair ofsaid terminals being disposed in a recess in said adapter, and a plug ofinsulating material carrying exposed circuit-terminals and adapted toenter said recess.

6. As a new article of manufacture, the adapter A, of insulatingmaterial, having a recess B and containing two circuit-conductors havingterminals CD arranged in said recess B, in combination with the plug F,having the fixed circuit-terminals G H and adapted to enter said recessB.

7. As a new article of manufacture, the adapter A, of insulatingmateriahhaving the recess B and containing two circuit-conductors havingthe terminals C D in said recess B and provided with projecting ribs orcorrugations 0 p, in combination with the plug F, of insulatingmaterial, adapted to enter said recess B and providedwithcircuit-terminals G H, having the indentations m n, adapted to receivesaid corrugations or projections o p.

EDWARD WESTON.

Witnesses:

R. C. FESSENDEN, M. BoscH.

